It's easy to diss Mortal Kombat for being a one-trick pony. Yes, success was always based on gratuitous violence and catchphrases, but it was perfect for MTV sensibilities and has always remained true to its roots. This latest version allows you to play as almost any character from the series (around 62!) and adds a new training mode with an unusually rich storyline. Naturally, the red pixel count remains high - particularly now you can customise your own fatalities - and there's also classic and new moves, costumes and combos for every character. Graphically, it's clearly the best looking MK game yet. So, nothing new in terms of fighting mechanics, but for a greatest "hits & kicks" package, this takes some beating.MA

Even though it's no longer called Bully in Europe, Canis Canem Edit (or dog eat dog) has generated plenty of outrage in certain redtops and on breakfast television. Which would leave anyone who has played the game to conclude that the spirit of Mary Whitehouse persists somewhere in the ether, as it is utterly innocuous. As young Jimmy Hopkins, thrust into the tough New England boarding school Bullworth Academy, you get to navigate an at times hilarious storyline which evokes Grange Hill and Nigel Molesworth rather than Grand Theft Auto. Jimmy must fulfil a multitude of tasks (most of which involve protecting fellow pupils from bullies), attend his lessons (in which he plays mini-games to acquire abilities - English enables him to talk, rather than punch, his way out of sticky situations) and collect and acquire objects. Weapons are generally along the lines of stinkbombs and itching powder, although a baseball bat is occasionally available. For once in a game, the humour hits the spot, but there is one annoying flaw: an intermittent tendency for the camera to go haywire when performing interior missions. Whatever the Moral Majority say, Canis Canem Edit will only teach 15-year-olds anything about bullying if they were raised away from all human contact.SB

Pro Evolution Soccer 6PS2, Xbox 360, £39.99, cert 3+Konami, 4/5

The latest Pro Evolution Soccer is still the pinnacle of virtual footy. Touch, feel, movement - PES6 has it in spades. Enhancements include refs who actually allow some physical contact and more player control over shooting and heading. This is especially true of the sublime PS2 version, which packs in a lot more content than the 360 effort. Yes, the 360 version looks great but it lacks many of the features of the PS2 version - extensive multiplayer, more grounds - and feels like a lazy effort. This is especially true when you consider online, normally so integral to the 360. Not here. Rudimentary options and laggy play are a huge wasted opportunity. If you can ignore all this, then you'll find a football game that is still top of the pile. Let's hope Konami is less complacent next year.GH